Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
HCP Engagement: 5
Sources: Healthcasts 2015 Physician Voices Study; 46% of HCPs say that they can “definitely” imagine a world without sales reps; n=900
eMarketer: Can Digital Ad Spend in the US Healthcare and Pharma Industry Catch Up? May 26, 2015. http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Digital-Ad-
Spend-US-Healthcare-Pharma-Industry-Catch-Up/1012526; Healthcasts HCP Digital Education Survey October, 2015: n=399
1
tablets for this purpose. (See Figure 1) serious or rare conditions. These drugs,
Even as there is an increasing realization primarily prescribed by smaller cadres
that digital solutions can enhance of specialists, are all fighting for share
traditional marketing efforts, creating of mind, share of voice, and share of
a marketing plan with optimal reach, market.
frequency, and cadence across multiple
channels is a difficult task. More And yet, not everyone is convinced that
difficult is aligning your messaging the explosion of new drug approvals is
strategy to the varying ways physicians a good thing. In his recent essay, “The
prefer to receive information and 21st Century Cures Act: The (Somewhat)
their individual practice needs. The Good, The (Mostly) Bad, and The (Very)
challenge is disseminating content to Ugly,” Dr. David H. Gorski voices the
educate physicians in the most engaging concern that faster, more numerous
way, without bombarding them with approvals may lead to lowered standards
messaging. for providing drug safety and efficacy
information. As greater numbers of
drugs are approved more quickly,
More Information to Share, More HCPs will need to examine clinical
Information to Receive data more closely to make informed
judgments regarding a drug’s safety and
Pharmaceutical companies have effectiveness for each individual patient.
overwhelming amounts of information
on the treatments they manufacture as Physician discretion and experience will
well as the diseases they treat. In fact, in therefore play an even more important
the past few years the FDA has approved role in patient care in the unfolding
record numbers of new therapies, Accelerated Approval era. It will become
resulting in even more information increasingly important for HCPs to
to share. In March 2014, McKinsey & quickly access newly published clinical
Company estimated that pharmaceutical data so their assessments can evolve in
companies would launch approximately real time. For new drugs to help patients
400 new products over the following most effectively, the industry will need to
three years — an increase of 146% from improve how it educates physicians and
2005. Additionally, many new drugs provide up-to-date clinical trial data and
are coming to market faster, largely prescribing information.
thanks to the FDA’s “Breakthrough
Therapy” designation, which facilitates These trends should drive a different
approval of treatments for particularly marketing mindset for addressing the
2
need for rapid education. Ideally, this information physicians need has not changed
new mindset should find synergies between – it’s the format, timing, and delivery of that
traditional marketing approaches and information that have changed.
digital non-personal promotion (NPP). The
question is, how do pharma manufacturers The kind of information
decide which tactics will supplement their physicians need has not
traditional marketing programs effectively? changed—it’s the format,
How do existing assets work in a digital
world? How is tactical selection impacted at timing, and delivery of
each point of a brand’s lifecycle? that information that have
More importantly, how do you guide the changed.
physician journey from introduction to
influence? To truly educate doctors, it is vital to
provide them with rich content while they
are researching new drugs and learning
The New Rules of from influential opinion leaders. This
3
and providing treatment to ordering tests and updating
documentation. This new generation of time-constrained HCPs
have less time to gather and digest the copious amounts of
information available to them. In fact, our Healthcasts member
physicians tell us that they generally engage with our content
in the evening (from 6 to 9 p.m.) when they are able to dedicate
time to learning about emerging research and treatments.
This fact underscores the point that time is of the essence, and
that marketers must create content that doctors can discover
and absorb at the right time. For physicians to engage with your
brand at a higher level, it is folly to vie for their attention at the
height of the workday.
But it’s not only the “when” that matters. “Where” is at least as
important. The astute marketer is one who delivers content in
the right place, as well as at the right time. When applicable, you
can use geo-targeting to target physicians by zip code, region,
or state. Alternatively, you can roll out geographic campaigns
over time to align with your strategy. Geographically focused
campaigns are especially effective as a means to complement
formulary approvals, to align with regional MSL or sales rep
regions, to promote around specific institutions (especially
where HCPs have been certified for a specific procedure), or to
“surround” referring physicians near your target specialists.
35% 15%
to access information about
new drugs has increased 133%
Q. For learning about a new drug, please
over the last 5 years. (See allocate the percent of time you use the
Figure 2) following devices: iPad/tablet & smartphone.
4
As pharmaceutical marketers begin to innovate more often with
content creation—offering multiple formats, from short and
long form video, to interactive self-learning experiences—it will
become increasingly important to provide access via the multiple
devices physicians use, in the environments they find most
convenient.
5
provide enough information to impact doctors’ long-term
prescription-writing behavior.
6
3 Content Must Be Results-Driven
Data collection and analysis are essential to a successful campaign.
Different kinds of research should be employed throughout a
campaign to measure and assess message delivery, and to analyze
the campaign’s results. Such assessment should be done routinely
in order to gauge your target audience’s perception of your
messages and secure their feedback. As the saying goes, “Ask not
what your HCP can do for your company…”
Which pieces of content are preferred across the target list and
by distinct physician segments?
7
Answers to those questions can provide ongoing feedback to
hone messaging even as the campaign continues to unfold. The
feedback can also reveal insights over time, such as treatment
trends that can inform future marketing efforts.
Source: Healthcasts Breast Cancer Campaigns 2015. 1898 physicians watched two programs. 1389 physicians watched one program. Clients’
target lists were evaluated after each program to measure tier changes. These same lists were used across all of the client’s’ marketing initiatives.
8
(24% vs. 6%) on HCP script
volume compared to those Fig 3.
who engaged with only one
program. (See Figure 3)
Detail aids and other sales force materials can be made more
visually compelling and interactive with voice-over capability,
as can patient profiles, which can incorporate digital “quiz”
elements to bolster their educational impact. Additionally,
an approved KOL slide deck can be leveraged as the “script”
for a deeply engaging educational video, a series of videos or
an engaging self-learning module. The possibilities extend to
telesales scripts, whereby you can digitally reproduce the phone
“algorithm” with approved messaging.
9
5 Build Trust
Just as the physician-patient relationship is built on trust, the
success of your marketing campaign depends on establishing
trust with your target physicians. After all, trust is the main
mechanism and moral guide that physicians use to measure the
credibility of your content and the potential effectiveness and
safety of your treatment. Furthermore, in today’s healthcare
environment, trust is a commodity in limited supply, one that
has eroded in the face of increasingly restrictive marketplace
trends. Indeed, many doctors feel they have lost some authority
in picking medicines, as health plans have learned to wield co-
pays to steer use of certain drugs.
83%
much of their information Fig 4.
from these sources. To the
extent that you can collaborate
synergistically with these
individuals and organizations,
you can strengthen delivery of
your messages.
10
packaged as independent editorial content or within brand
messaging, input from KOLs carries considerable weight among
practicing physicians who look to these experts for unbiased,
clinically useful medical information. The power of KOL
support is illustrated in Figure 4, which suggests that 84% of
physicians are likely to prescribe a new drug if it’s endorsed by
a Key Opinion Leader. In addition to leveraging KOLs at the
national level, KOLs with regional stature can be deployed in
key geographic areas to address localized issues. Similarly, data
presentations by prominent KOLs at medical congresses can be
promoted to local physicians in the markets where the meetings
take place. Moreover, KOL-driven content can be leveraged via
multiple channels to reach other audiences including payors and
regulators.
11
Some Concluding Thoughts
One of the great pluses of working in pharma marketing
is knowing that the products we’re promoting make a real
difference in people’s lives. This industry produces and
distributes products that save lives and alleviate suffering. And
yet, with that status comes great responsibility. To the extent
that marketing tactics enhance awareness of the availability
and utility of potentially life-saving medications, the greater the
benefits to public health. When you, as a marketer, adhere to the
marketplace’s new rules of engagement to connect and engage
with HCPs appropriately and meaningfully, you help to create
and nurture the educated physician—a noble endeavor, which
will help a greater number of patients in the long run.
About Healthcasts
Healthcasts is the leading educational resource for physicians with an exclusive,
verified network of practicing members that spans over 30 clinical specialty areas.
Since its inception in 2001, Healthcasts has been leveraging research and member
feedback to provide relevant, personalized educational content from more than 50
medical conferences, insights from Key Opinion Leaders and CME programming
through partnerships with leading educational institutions. Healthcasts
programming is available digitally, on-demand on all devices for an optimized,
cross-channel experience.
To learn how your brand can leverage the new rules of HCP engagement on
Healthcasts, visit us at healthcasts.com/digitalpromotions or
call us at 866-275-7861 ext 2028
12